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Thousands of protesters fill the grounds of the Capitol on Tuesday. There were three protesters arrested during the day -- all on misdemeanor charges -- but demonstrations were mostly peaceful, police said. / Rod Sanford/Lansing State Journal

Crowds protesting right-to-work legislation march on the state Capitol in Lansing on Tuesday. Police estimated that there were up to 12,500 demonstrators -- 2,500 inside the Capitol and 10,000 outside. / ROMAIN BLANQUART/Detroit Free Press

State Rep. David Rutledge, D-Ypsilanti, rails against the right-to-work legislation on the floor of the House on Tuesday. The measure passed along partisan lines, with all Democrats voting no. Six Republicans joined them. / MANDI WRIGHT/Detroit Free Press

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LANSING -- In the blink of an eye, Michigan became the 24th right-to-work state Tuesday, after the House rushed through legislation and Gov. Rick Snyder immediately signed it, capping a day of charged emotions, huge crowds and mostly peaceful demonstrations.

The speed with which the controversial legislation became law left organized labor and Democrats reeling. There is talk of legal challenges and recall efforts, but Democrats and labor leaders say they are mostly focused on 2014, when they hope to elect lawmakers and a governor who will vote to repeal the law.

"This is a major day in Michigan's history," Snyder told reporters late Tuesday during a news conference, shortly after signing two right-to-work bills approved by the state House on Tuesday and approved by the Senate on Thursday.

The news of the signing was a bit of a surprise, and relayed rather matter-of-factly by the governor. He said he saw how divisive the issue was and noted the large crowds of protesters outside the Capitol, saying he didn't see a need for a public signing or ceremony. Instead, he said, it was just time to take a position and move forward.

"I don't view this as anti-labor. I view this as pro-worker," Snyder said.

Here for good?

Because the new law was designed to include a $1-million appropriation to cover implementation, it can't be repealed by voter initiative, as the controversial 2011 emergency manager law was on Nov. 6.

But the right-to-work law wasn't what many of the opponents said they were interested in recalling Tuesday.

"The sleeping tiger is awake now," Michigan AFL-CIO President Karla Swift told the Free Press. "We have 2014 as a goal to shift out and win justice."

An estimated 12,500 demonstrators from across the state and around the country converged on the Capitol, waving signs, hoisting inflatable rats mocking Snyder, and stomping their feet and shouting their voices hoarse in the Capitol Rotunda.

When their actions had no effect on the Legislature, demonstrators turned their focus to Snyder and briefly massed outside his offices in the Romney Building, located across from the Capitol, accusing him of a double-cross with his about-face on right to work.

Michigan, following Midwest neighbor Indiana into right-to-work status, garnered huge national and international attention, largely because of the state's history as a birthplace of the UAW and the location of the first sit-down strikes of the 1930s.

The process began last Tuesday, when Snyder announced publicly that the controversial issue was "on the agenda" in Lansing. By last Thursday, Snyder, who since taking office in January 2011 had described right-to-work as too divisive and not on his agenda, bowed to pressure from the conservative members of his party and announced that the process was moving forward. Just five days later, the change was law, without a committee hearing and with little debate in the Legislature.

The law, which makes it illegal to require financial support of a union as a condition of employment, is expected to deal a significant blow to the finances and political clout of organized labor. Snyder and other Republicans who back the law say unions will simply have to do a better job of showing value to members for the dues they pay, since they will no longer have a captive clientele.

Not giving up

Backers of organized labor were adamant that while Tuesday was a major setback for their cause, it was not the death knell.

"Have you ever seen a squirrel get run over and get back up?" asked Joel Bullock Sr., 66, of Detroit, a retired Ford worker from UAW Local 600 who was at the Capitol Tuesday. "It's amazing, isn't it?

"You don't have to lay down and roll over just because you take a licking," he said. "This is coming up again. It won't be done after today."

Proponents, such as Patrick Wright, a senior legal analyst with the conservative Mackinac Center, said he's confident that despite the furor, the change the Legislature made Tuesday will help Michigan's still-recovering economy.

"We like to think this is bigger than unions," Wright said at the Capitol. "We like to think this will lead to a better day for all Michiganders.

"It's going to make this place a better choice for businesses to grow and expand," he said. "Unions," whose 700,000 Michigan members already account for less than 20% of the state work force, "will continue to exist." Steve Benkovsky, the Capitol facilities director, estimated that the crowd peaked at 12,500 -- 10,000 outside the building and 2,500 inside.

Damage appeared to be minimal, he said.

There were some scuffles between police and protesters, leading police to use pepper spray. A tent erected by right-to-work proponents also got torn down. Three people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and are expected to be arraigned today. But, overall, considering the size of the crowd, police and organizers described the day as peaceful.

The fallout

The right-to-work law is expected to take effect around April 1, and will cover all public and private employees in Michigan with the exception of police and firefighters, who were intentionally excluded.

Existing contracts won't be affected by the law, only contracts that take effect or are renewed after the law's effective date next spring, said Robert Sikkel, a Grand Rapids attorney specializing in employment issues.

Until existing contracts expire, all employees covered by union contracts at governments and businesses with closed shops will have to continue to pay union dues, or at least the union agency fee related to the cost of representation, Sikkel said.

But once those contracts expire, employees will be free to decide whether they want to pay anything to the unions, and still will be covered by union-negotiated contracts, whether they pay or not, he said.

The state House voted 58-51 to pass a right-to-work bill for public employees, and 58-52 on a bill for private-sector workers. State Rep. Jimmy Womack, D-Detroit, wasn't in the House for the vote on the public-sector right-to-work bill, accounting for the one vote difference between the two bills.

All the Democrats in the House and six Republicans -- Anthony Forlini of Harrison Township, Ken Goike of Ray Township, Ken Horn of Frankenmuth, Dale Zorn of Ida, Ed McBroom of Vulcan (in the Upper Peninsula) and Pat Somerville of New Boston -- voted no. But it wasn't enough to defeat the legislation.

The debate over the two bills lasted nearly three hours, but were voted on without any committee hearings or input from the public, although audience members in the gallery overlooking the House chamber began chanting, "Shame on you," as soon as the bills were passed.

State Rep. David Rutledge, an Ypsilanti Democrat, provided a personal reason for opposing the legislation, telling his colleagues about being shoved off a diner stool as a young black man by another man who said he couldn't sit there.

"I can't begin to tell you what a humiliating experience that was. That changed the trajectory of my life," he said. "At the moment I hit the floor, that man seemed to have all the rules on his side. At that moment, I decided I wanted to be where the rules are made."

But state Rep. Marty Knollenberg, R-Troy, said the right-to-work debate has raged for decades and approving it was way past due.

"This is about freedom in the workplace; it is about fairness, opportunity and allowing choices," he said.

As the debate raged inside, the sounds of drums and shouts from protesters outside could be heard. Police entered the House floor when a verbal dispute erupted between Democrats and Republicans over a procedural move.

There was a muted reaction in the Capitol Rotunda to the first vote, as protesters continued singing "Solidarity Forever" until word filtered around that it had passed. Then there were loud boos and chants of, "Veto!"

More Details: What's next on right-to-work?

• The law takes effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns. That will put the effective date around April 1. The law won’t affect existing union contracts.

• Legal action can be taken on several grounds, including whether the $1-million appropriation attached to the law is proper, and whether the carve-out of police and firefighters is a violation of equal protection clauses in the constitution.

• Unlike the emergency manager law, the right-to-work bills cannot be repealed by a statewide vote because of the appropriation. Opponents, however, can mount a drive to put a constitutional amendment on the 2014 statewide ballot, which could overturn the right-to-work bill.

• Recall campaigns against state senators who supported the legislation can begin immediately. But recalls against House members cannot begin until July 1, when they reach the six-month mark in their 2013-14 terms.

• Campaigns will begin quickly to try to defeat Gov. Rick Snyder and enough Republicans in the state House and Senate, so Democrats can regain control of the majority and vote to overturn the laws.

Snyder's rationale

Why sign the bills so quickly and in private?

“As soon as the Legislature did their work, where did the crowd go? The Romney (Building). I wanted to get the bill signed so they could finish up and go home.”

Would right-to-work have come up if unions didn’t push Proposal 2 on the Nov. 6 ballot?

“I don’t believe we would be standing here in this time frame if Proposal 2 hadn’t moved ahead.”

Why no public vote on the bill?

“I view this as a part of the normal legislative process.” And since it’s been discussed for years, citizens have had the opportunity to talk with their representatives about the issue. “This didn’t suddenly pop up out of the blue.”

Lawsuits against the bills?

“I would expect litigation. But there are strong legal arguments that this law should stand.”